Skip to main content

Hi everyone,

Hoping someone from the community or Sonos team can help. I’ve spent hours trying to get this working and have hit a wall.

My setup:

  • Arc Ultra (connected via WiFi)

  • 2 × Era 300 (set as surrounds)

  • Sub + Sub 4

Everything appears correctly in the app. The Arc Ultra is connected to WiFi (not Ethernet), and I made sure WiFi is enabled. The Era 300s show up as left and right surrounds, and both subs are listed and bonded to the Arc room. I’ve increased surround and sub audio levels to max. I’ve also confirmed that I’m playing Dolby Atmos and 5.1 content (shows up as such in the Sonos app), using Apple TV 4K.

The problem:
I’m getting no sound whatsoever from the Era 300s or the subs. The only time I hear anything from them is the pairing chime during initial setup. After that, complete silence. This applies to both movies and music, regardless of source or settings.

What I’ve already tried:

  • Power cycling everything (multiple times)

  • Removing and re-adding surrounds and subs

  • Resetting all speakers and setting the system up from scratch

  • Toggling surround and sub audio on/off in the app

  • Verifying WiFi is active on the Arc Ultra

  • Playing Atmos and 5.1 content from different sources

  • Setting music playback to “Full” in Surround Audio settings

To make things worse, Trueplay fails every single time I try to run it. It gets stuck during tuning and won’t complete, even after several attempts with different devices and room positions.

The only setup that works flawlessly is in my bedroom, where I have a regular Arc, two IKEA Symfonisk speakers, and a Mini Sub. That setup gives me surround sound and sub response without issues.

It’s honestly frustrating. This system wasn’t cheap, and it should be performing at a much higher level. I’ve followed every step I could find here and on Reddit, and I’m still stuck.

If anyone can help walk me through additional steps or spot something I may have missed, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks in advance.

When you say “Power cycling everything (multiple times)” does that include rebooting your router?

There is potentially a known issue running Trueplay on the Arc Ultra with recent version of the app, so focus on getting the sound back on Sub/Surrounds first than attempting to run Trueplay.

Edit: Also check for updates within the app to see if there are any firmware updates available.


The current issue with Trueplay is confirmed here:

 


When you say “Power cycling everything (multiple times)” does that include rebooting your router?

There is potentially a known issue running Trueplay on the Arc Ultra with recent version of the app, so focus on getting the sound back on Sub/Surrounds first than attempting to run Trueplay.

Edit: Also check for updates within the app to see if there are any firmware updates available.

Thanks. I did reboot the router during the power cycle process, and I also checked for and installed all available firmware updates. So everything should be up to date.

I know there are known issues with Trueplay on the Arc Ultra, but what’s really concerning is that during the Trueplay attempt, I only hear the Arc Ultra firing. There’s absolutely no sound from the Era 300s or the subs during the tuning process, which makes me feel like the system isn’t routing audio to them at all.

I’ve already factory reset and re-paired the surrounds and subs multiple times. They show up correctly in the app every time, but I still get zero sound from them no matter what I try.

At this point I’m starting to wonder if something deeper is misconfigured or broken. Open to any other ideas.


I suggest you contact Sonos Support. A diagnostic from your system should evidence the reason why the Subs/Surrounds are silent.


When you set the streaming surround mode to Full did you then stream (not from the TV) some music?

Have you tried just connecting the 300s (no Subs) and ch3cking TV  and streaming sound?

Maybe just hook up the Sub 4, with and without the 300s to see what happens.

What generation is your old Sub? 

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/set-up-your-sonos-sub

Arc Ultra: Compatible with two Sub 4s, Sub (Gen 3)s, or one of each.


When you set the streaming surround mode to Full did you then stream (not from the TV) some music?

Have you tried just connecting the 300s (no Subs) and ch3cking TV  and streaming sound?

Maybe just hook up the Sub 4, with and without the 300s to see what happens.

What generation is your old Sub? 

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/set-up-your-sonos-sub

Arc Ultra: Compatible with two Sub 4s, Sub (Gen 3)s, or one of each.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I tested it with music playback (not from TV), and the streaming surround mode was set to Full. Still no sound from either the Era 300s or the subs when paired to the Arc Ultra.

 

The older Sub is Gen 3, but even the Sub 4 isn’t making any sound when connected to the Arc Ultra. They both appear in the app, but no audio comes through.

 

Just tested something else, I paired the Era 300s as a stereo pair and connected the Sub 4 to them, outside of the Arc Ultra setup. In that configuration, everything worked perfectly. The Era 300s and Sub 4 played music with no problem.

 

So the speakers themselves are fine, but something in the Arc Ultra setup seems to be blocking sound from reaching them.


That is sounding more and more like an Ultra 5 gHz radio issue.

Best to hook everything up as you want it, then submit a diagnostic and CALL Sonos.

 

Probably don't have the Ethernet dongles for the 300s but you could try Ethernet to the Ultra and Subs and see if they connect. Leave wifi on, off disables the whole radio.

Amazon Basics Ethernet cables are cheap in long lengths, my 100" one is a real back saver!


That is sounding more and more like an Ultra 5 gHz radio issue.

Best to hook everything up as you want it, then submit a diagnostic and CALL Sonos.

 

Probably don't have the Ethernet dongles for the 300s but you could try Ethernet to the Ultra and Subs and see if they connect. Leave wifi on, off disables the whole radio.

Amazon Basics Ethernet cables are cheap in long lengths, my 100" one is a real back saver!

I already spent almost an hour with Sonos customer service and the issue is still not solved. They even had me try turning off the 5GHz as requested, but it still doesn’t work. At this point I’m really frustrated because I’ve tried everything and wasted hours on this already.


That is sounding more and more like an Ultra 5 gHz radio issue.

Best to hook everything up as you want it, then submit a diagnostic and CALL Sonos.

 

Probably don't have the Ethernet dongles for the 300s but you could try Ethernet to the Ultra and Subs and see if they connect. Leave wifi on, off disables the whole radio.

Amazon Basics Ethernet cables are cheap in long lengths, my 100" one is a real back saver!

I already spent almost an hour with Sonos customer service and the issue is still not solved. They even had me try turning off the 5GHz as requested, but it still doesn’t work. At this point I’m really frustrated because I’ve tried everything and wasted hours on this already.

You haven’t said if you tried a Ethernet cable from your router to the Ultra or Sub. I would do as ​@Stanley_4 suggested. If it works, you have to figure out how to permanently keep the Ultra connected.

Can you tell us about your network?

Are you using your ISPs router? Do you have any extenders on your network?


It’ll be a hassle, but if your Symfonisk’s are Gen 2 they’re compatible with the Ultra. Remove them as surrounds on your Arc and see if they’ll bond to the Ultra. If not, it adds to the likelihood the Ultra is faulty. 


I don’t know anything about Sonos availability in Israel but if there are regional differences between the purchased soundbar/surrounds that is one possible explanation for no audio playing on the surrounds. The OP from the following thread also listed their country as Israel.

 


That is sounding more and more like an Ultra 5 gHz radio issue.

Best to hook everything up as you want it, then submit a diagnostic and CALL Sonos.

 

Probably don't have the Ethernet dongles for the 300s but you could try Ethernet to the Ultra and Subs and see if they connect. Leave wifi on, off disables the whole radio.

Amazon Basics Ethernet cables are cheap in long lengths, my 100" one is a real back saver!

I already spent almost an hour with Sonos customer service and the issue is still not solved. They even had me try turning off the 5GHz as requested, but it still doesn’t work. At this point I’m really frustrated because I’ve tried everything and wasted hours on this already.

You haven’t said if you tried a Ethernet cable from your router to the Ultra or Sub. I would do as ​@Stanley_4 suggested. If it works, you have to figure out how to permanently keep the Ultra connected.

Can you tell us about your network?

Are you using your ISPs router? Do you have any extenders on your network?

Thanks for the follow-up. I'm using the Be Fiber AI WiFi 7 router from Bezeq, my ISP in Israel. It's a high-speed mesh-compatible fiber router that supports WiFi 7, 2.5G LAN, Cyber AI protection, and integrated MESH functionality.

You can see the full specs here (in Hebrew):
https://www.bezeq.co.il/media/PDF/be_fiber_wifi-7.pdf

Here are some key points:

  • Supports WiFi 7 (802.11be)

  • Includes 1 × 2.5G Ethernet port and 3 × 1G ports

  • MESH capable, but I don’t currently have any satellites installed

  • Currently using it without any extenders

  • The Arc Ultra is connected over WiFi, not Ethernet

Unfortunately, I’m not able to run an Ethernet cable to the Arc Ultra, since the router is installed in the hallway and the Arc is in the living room. I'm renting the apartment and can't drill through walls or run permanent cables.

Yesterday, I tried disabling the 5GHz network to force everything onto 2.4GHz, but it didn’t help.

I’ve already spoken to Sonos support twice, factory reset everything multiple times (including the router), and still no luck. The Era 300s and Sub 4 work perfectly when used independently in a stereo setup but as soon as I assign them to the Arc Ultra room, they stop producing any sound, despite appearing connected in the app.

At this point, I’ve tried everything I can think of and I’m really hoping someone can help figure this out.


It’ll be a hassle, but if your Symfonisk’s are Gen 2 they’re compatible with the Ultra. Remove them as surrounds on your Arc and see if they’ll bond to the Ultra. If not, it adds to the likelihood the Ultra is faulty. 

It is a bit of a hassle but I’ll try it once I’m back from work and will update.

Right now the Symfonisks are bonded to my older Arc with a new Sub Mini I bought recently, and that setup is working perfectly. I even managed to run Trueplay there without any issues unlike with the Arc Ultra, where Trueplay fails every time and the surrounds go completely silent.

If they don’t bond to the Ultra, that definitely points toward a hardware issue on the Arc Ultra side. Thanks for the suggestion.


I don’t know anything about Sonos availability in Israel but if there are regional differences between the purchased soundbar/surrounds that is one possible explanation for no audio playing on the surrounds. The OP from the following thread also listed their country as Israel.

 

I’ve heard about this regional compatibility issue before. Is there a way to actually check the region of each individual Sonos product?

My setup includes products that were purchased at different times and from different sources. For example, I bought the Era 300 from Sonos’ official importer here in Israel, and the Sub 4 from a third-party (parallel) importer. The two work perfectly together when paired outside the Arc Ultra setup.

However, the Arc Ultra, which I also purchased from that same third-party importer, does not work properly with either the Sub 4 or the Era 300. They appear in the app, but no sound comes from them.

On the other hand, I have a Sub Mini that was purchased through the same parallel importer, and it works flawlessly with my original Arc, which I bought from the official importer.

So the pattern is unclear. I would really appreciate guidance on how to confirm the region of each product so I can rule this out.


I’ve heard about this regional compatibility issue before. Is there a way to actually check the region of each individual Sonos product?

 

Do you still have the boxes for the devices?

The product code on the box would identify the Region the device was manufactured for.


Possibly the serial number or model number on the speaker, too?


Possibly the serial number or model number on the speaker, too?

I have the serial numbers. Not the boxes. Does that help in any way?

for example the arc ultra is this and the era 300 is this

Moderator Edit: Removed serial numbers from pictures


Possibly the serial number or model number on the speaker, too?

I have the serial numbers. Not the boxes. Does that help in any way?

 

Doesn’t help from a user perspective. Sonos Support may be able to identify further manufacture info from the serial number.


Hi ​@davidporges 

Welcome to the Sonos Community!

Sorry to hear of this issue you are having with getting audio from your Arc Ultra’s connected satellite speakers.

Looking at your recent diagnostics, I can confirm for you that the reason you hear no audio from them is because the regions do not match - you have speakers meant for 3 different regions. The WiFi regulations across these different regions, set to each speaker at the factory, are preventing them from communicating in the manner they prefer.

I can only apologise that this was not spotted before, when you called in - it should have been.

I recommend you get in touch with our technical support team who have tools at their disposal that will allow them to give you advice specific to your Sonos system and what it reports, and you ensure that they understand that this is indeed where the problem lies.

I hope this helps.


I’m having the same issues with Trueplay and I don’t have the regional issue. I have an arc ultra, two 300s as surrounds, and a Sub + Sub 4. When I had the older Arc, with otherwise the same setup, Trueplay worked with no issues. I recently purchased the Ultra, followed the recommended steps to change out the Ultra for the older Arc, and nothing but problems. I spent over an hour with Sonos Support, they are stumped as well. 


Hi ​@Joshua01 

Welcome to the Sonos Community!

Sorry to hear about this issue you are having with TruePlaying your Arc Ultra and it’s satellite speakers.

We are aware of an issue preventing Arc Ultra from completing TruePlay with satellite speakers bonded and are investigating. We have no estimate for when it might be resolved, but I will update this thread when I hear of it.

I’m sorry to hear the agent you spoke to was unaware.

I hope this helps.


I’m having the same issues with Trueplay and I don’t have the regional issue. I have an arc ultra, two 300s as surrounds, and a Sub + Sub 4. When I had the older Arc, with otherwise the same setup, Trueplay worked with no issues. I recently purchased the Ultra, followed the recommended steps to change out the Ultra for the older Arc, and nothing but problems. I spent over an hour with Sonos Support, they are stumped as well. 

The system update released yesterday should have fixed the issue you were having with Trueplay.


I’m having the same issues with Trueplay and I don’t have the regional issue. I have an arc ultra, two 300s as surrounds, and a Sub + Sub 4. When I had the older Arc, with otherwise the same setup, Trueplay worked with no issues. I recently purchased the Ultra, followed the recommended steps to change out the Ultra for the older Arc, and nothing but problems. I spent over an hour with Sonos Support, they are stumped as well. 

The system update released yesterday should have fixed the issue you were having with Trueplay.

Doesn't work

Doesn't work

If you are still unable to Trueplay and have followed the troubleshooting steps https://support.sonos.com/en-gb/article/error-during-trueplay-tuning and are still unsuccessful, then contact support.


Doesn't work

If you are still unable to Trueplay and have followed the troubleshooting steps https://support.sonos.com/en-gb/article/error-during-trueplay-tuning and are still unsuccessful, then contact support.

No 
This problem only appears after adding rear speakers One


Reply